Defense Infrastructure: In-Kind Projects Initiated during Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012 (open access)

Defense Infrastructure: In-Kind Projects Initiated during Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Defense’s (DOD) processes for selecting in-kind projects in Asia vary by country and by whether the project is intended to support force structure initiatives or enduring installations, although these efforts are not mutually exclusive; domestically, DOD’s processes for selecting in-kind projects vary by military service and statutory authority. In Asia, the selection of in-kind projects to support initiatives for relocating U.S. troops within Japan and the Republic of Korea generally results from a schedule-driven process based on resources and infrastructure made available by the host nation to fulfill initiatives agreed to in prior years with target dates for completion, and input from affected military bases. The selection of in-kind projects to support enduring installations is characterized by priority-based processes with input from installations and unit commanders. All in-kind projects to support U.S. forces in Asia result from host nation support as agreed to bilaterally, with the exception of facilities provided through the Japan Facilities Improvement Program, which is a voluntary effort on the part of Japan. All DOD facility planning and project selection at enduring locations is based on military and operational requirements, independent of …
Date: April 9, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Health Care Workforce: Federal Investments in Training and the Availability of Data for Workforce Projections (open access)

Health Care Workforce: Federal Investments in Training and the Availability of Data for Workforce Projections

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO found that there is substantial federal funding for health care workforce training programs but that obtaining comprehensive information about the scope of such programs is challenging. In GAO's August 2013 report on the federal role in health care workforce training, GAO found that four federal departments—the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Education (Education)—administered 91 programs that supported postsecondary training or education specifically for direct care health professionals in fiscal year 2012. All together, the four departments reported obligating about $14.2 billion for health care workforce training programs in fiscal year 2012, with HHS funding the most programs (69) and having the largest percentage of total reported funding (82 percent). The majority of funding for health care workforce training in fiscal year 2012—about $11.1 billion, or 78 percent—was invested in seven programs that supported postgraduate residency training for physicians, dentists, and certain other health professionals, called Graduate Medical Education. The remaining 84 programs administered by HHS, VA, DOD, and Education accounted for obligations of about $3.2 billion and provided varying levels …
Date: April 9, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Security Disability Programs: SSA Could Take Steps to Improve Its Assessment of Continued Eligibility (open access)

Social Security Disability Programs: SSA Could Take Steps to Improve Its Assessment of Continued Eligibility

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Social Security Administration (SSA) reported in January 2014 that it is behind schedule in assessing the continued eligibility of recipients in its two disability programs, Disability Insurance (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI),and has accumulated a backlog of 1.3 million continuing disability reviews (CDRs). From fiscal years 2000 to 2011, the numbers of adult and child CDRs conducted fell about 70 percent. Children make up about one fifth of all SSI recipients, and GAO reported in 2012 that many of their CDRs were overdue. For example, more than 24,000 CDRs for children with mental impairments were overdue by 6 or more years, including over 6,000 CDRs for children who were expected to medically improve within 6 to 18 months of their initial determination. GAO also identified several cases which exceeded their scheduled review date by 13 years or more. When CDRs are not conducted as scheduled, the potential for improper payments increases as some recipients receive benefits for which they are no longer eligible. In September 2011, SSA's Office of the Inspector General estimated that SSA had paid about $1.4 billion in SSI benefits to children who …
Date: April 9, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA Health Care: Ongoing and Past Work Identified Access Problems That May Delay Needed Medical Care for Veterans (open access)

VA Health Care: Ongoing and Past Work Identified Access Problems That May Delay Needed Medical Care for Veterans

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "GAO's ongoing work examining VHA's management of outpatient specialty care consults identified examples of delays in veterans receiving outpatient specialty care, as well as limitations in the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA), Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) implementation of new consult business rules designed to standardize aspects of the clinical consult process. For example, for 4 of the 10 physical therapy consults GAO reviewed for one VAMC, between 108 and 152 days elapsed with no apparent actions taken to schedule an appointment for the veteran. For 1 of these consults, several months passed before the veteran was referred for care to a non-VA health care facility. VA medical center (VAMC) officials cited increased demand for services, and patient no-shows and cancelled appointments among the factors that lead to delays and hinder their ability to meet VHA's guideline of completing consults within 90 days of being requested. GAO's ongoing work also identified variation in how the five VAMCs reviewed have implemented key aspects of VHA's business rules, such as strategies for managing future care consults—requests for specialty care appointments that are not clinically needed for more than 90 days. Such …
Date: April 9, 2014
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Government Efficiency And Effectiveness: Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Other Financial Benefits (open access)

Government Efficiency And Effectiveness: Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Other Financial Benefits

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In summary, GAO's 2013 annual report identifies 31 new areas where agencies may be able to achieve greater efficiency or effectiveness. Within these 31 areas, GAO identifies 81 actions that the executive branch or Congress could take to address the issues GAO identified. Although it may be appropriate for multiple agencies or entities to be involved in the same programmatic or policy area due to the nature or magnitude of the federal effort, GAO's report includes 17 areas of fragmentation, overlap, or duplication where multiple programs and activities may be creating inefficiencies. The report also identifies 14 additional areas where opportunities exist to achieve cost savings or enhance revenue collections."
Date: April 9, 2013
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
High-Level Leadership Needed to Help Guam Address Challenges Caused by DOD-Related Growth (open access)

High-Level Leadership Needed to Help Guam Address Challenges Caused by DOD-Related Growth

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In an effort to improve the U.S. military's flexibility to address conventional and terrorist threats worldwide, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to relocate more than 8,000 Marines and an estimated 9,000 dependents from Okinawa, Japan, to Guam as well as expand other U.S. force capabilities on the island at an estimated cost of more than $13 billion. Guam is an integral part of DOD's logistical support system and serves as an important forward operational hub for a mix of military mission requirements. According to DOD, Guam provides strategic flexibility, freedom of action, and prompt global action for the Global War on Terrorism, peace and wartime engagement, and crisis response. DOD plans to begin construction on Guam during fiscal year 2010 in order to meet the desired buildup deadline of fiscal year 2014 indicated in the agreement reached by the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee on October 29, 2005. As a result of the military buildup, Guam's current population of 171,000 will increase by an estimated 25,000 active duty military personnel and dependents (or 14.6 percent), to 196,000. In addition, the realignment will require additional workers to move to …
Date: April 9, 2009
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Census 2010: Census at Critical Juncture for Implementing Risk Reduction Strategies (open access)

Census 2010: Census at Critical Juncture for Implementing Risk Reduction Strategies

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau (Bureau) estimated the 2010 Census would cost $11.5 billion, including $3 billion on automation and technology. At a March hearing, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) stated that the Field Data Collection Automation (FDCA) program was likely to incur significant cost overruns and announced a redesign effort. At that time, GAO designated the 2010 Decennial Census as high risk, citing long-standing concerns in managing information technology (IT) investments and uncertain costs and operations. This testimony is based on past work and work nearing completion, including GAO's observation of the address canvassing dress rehearsal. For IT acquisitions, GAO analyzed system documentation, including deliverables, cost estimates, other acquisitions-related documents, and interviewed Bureau officials and contractors. This testimony describes the implications of redesign for (1) dress rehearsal and decennial operations, (2) IT acquisitions management, and (3) Decennial Census costs."
Date: April 9, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Homeland Security: Progress Made in Implementation of Management Functions, but More Work Remains (open access)

Department of Homeland Security: Progress Made in Implementation of Management Functions, but More Work Remains

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) began operations in March 2003 with missions that include preventing terrorist attacks from occurring within the United States, reducing U.S. vulnerability to terrorism, minimizing damages from attacks that occur, and helping the nation recover from any attacks. GAO has reported that the implementation and transformation of DHS is an enormous management challenge. GAO's prior work on mergers and acquisitions found that successful transformations of large organizations, even those faced with less strenuous reorganizations than DHS, can take at least 5 to 7 years to achieve. This testimony addresses (1) the progress made by DHS in implementing its management functions; and (2) key issues that have affected the department's implementation efforts. This testimony is based on GAO's August 2007 report evaluating DHS's progress between March 2003 and July 2007; selected reports issued since July 2007; and GAO's institutional knowledge of homeland security and management issues."
Date: April 9, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Employee Security: Implementation of Identification Cards and DOD's Personnel Security Clearance Program Need Improvement (open access)

Employee Security: Implementation of Identification Cards and DOD's Personnel Security Clearance Program Need Improvement

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "In an effort to increase the quality and security of federal identification (ID) practices, the President issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) in August 2004. This directive requires the establishment of a governmentwide standard for secure and reliable forms of ID. GAO was asked to testify on its report, being released today, assessing the progress selected agencies have made in implementing HSPD-12. For this report, GAO selected eight agencies with a range of experience in implementing ID systems and analyzed actions these agencies had taken. GAO was also asked to summarize challenges in the DOD personnel security clearance process. This overview is based on past work including reviews of clearance-related documents. Military servicemembers, federal workers, and industry personnel must obtain security clearances to gain access to classified information. Long-standing delays in processing applications for these clearances led GAO to designate the Department of Defense's (DOD) program as a high-risk area in 2005. In its report on HSPD-12, GAO made recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to, among other things, set realistic milestones for implementing the electronic authentication capabilities. GAO has also made recommendations to …
Date: April 9, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0617 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0617

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Constitutionality of section 51.413 Natural Resources Code, which would authorize the School Land Board to transfer proceeds from the sale in the permanent school fund to the available school fund (RQ-0638-GA)
Date: April 9, 2008
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0618 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: GA-0618

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Authority of a county auditor to refuse payment to a former employee of a county hospital on the ground that such payment is unconstitutional (RQ-0640-GA)
Date: April 9, 2008
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
United Nations: Renovation Schedule Accelerated after Delays, but Risks Remain in Key Areas (open access)

United Nations: Renovation Schedule Accelerated after Delays, but Risks Remain in Key Areas

Correspondence issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "The United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York City neither conforms to current building codes nor meets UN technology or security requirements. As the UN's host country and largest contributor, the United States has a substantial interest in the success of the Capital Master Plan (CMP), a project to renovate the complex. In this update, GAO reviewed the following key areas: renovation approach, schedule, cost, funding, risk management, project progress, procurement, and oversight. To perform this work, GAO reviewed UN documents and met with officials from the CMP office and other UN departments. To assess oversight and monitoring, GAO reviewed UN documents and oversight reports and interviewed UN officials from the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and officials from the U.S. Department of State (State)."
Date: April 9, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
VA Health Care: Recruitment and Retention Challenges and Efforts to Make Salaries Competitive for Nurse Anesthetists (open access)

VA Health Care: Recruitment and Retention Challenges and Efforts to Make Salaries Competitive for Nurse Anesthetists

Testimony issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), registered nurses who have completed a master's degree program in nurse anesthesia, provide the majority of anesthesia care in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. There are approximately 500 VA-employed CRNAs (VA CRNA) who provide care to veterans in VA medical facilities. While the demand for CRNAs has increased, many employed by VA are nearing retirement eligibility age. Concerns have been raised about the challenges VA may face in making VA CRNA salaries competitive in order to maintain its VA CRNA workforce, particularly in local markets that can be highly competitive. This testimony is based on GAO work reported in VA Health Care: Many Medical Facilities Have Challenges in Recruiting and Retaining Nurse Anesthetists, (GAO-08-56, Dec. 13, 2007). This testimony (1) identifies workforce challenges that VA medical facilities experience related to VA CRNAs, and (2) identifies a key mechanism that VA medical facilities have to help make VA CRNA salaries competitive and the extent to which VA facilities use this mechanism. For the December 2007 report, GAO analyzed surveys sent to VA chief anesthesiologists, VA human resources officers, and VA CRNAs. …
Date: April 9, 2008
Creator: United States. Government Accountability Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Department of Housing and Urban Development: Status of Efforts to Implement an Integrated Financial Management System (open access)

Department of Housing and Urban Development: Status of Efforts to Implement an Integrated Financial Management System

Correspondence issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Weaknesses in the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) financial management systems have been a long-standing challenge for the department and have contributed to our designating two of its major programs areas as high-risk and the financial management information systems in particular as a major management challenge. While some progress has been made, both GAO and the HUD Office of the Inspector General (IG) have reported extensively on weaknesses related to HUD's financial management systems. In audits of HUD's consolidated financial statements, the IG has consistently identified several material internal control weaknesses resulting from inadequate financial management systems. In recent audit reports, the HUD OIG also noted that the completion of the development of adequate financial management systems is the most critical need faced by HUD in improving its financial management control environment. Responsive financial management systems are particularly critical to HUD's ability to meet its mission, deliver key services, and establish sufficient management control over its operations. In light of these issues, Congress asked that we (1) summarize HUD's past efforts to implement an integrated financial management system, (2) identify the challenges HUD faces with its …
Date: April 9, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Request: U.S. General Accounting Office (open access)

Fiscal Year 2004 Budget Request: U.S. General Accounting Office

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "GAO is a key source of objective information and analyses and, as such, plays a crucial role in supporting congressional decision-making and helping improve government for the benefit of the American people. This testimony focuses on GAO's (1) fiscal year 2002 performance and results, (2) efforts to maximize our effectiveness, responsiveness and value, and (3) our budget request for fiscal year 2004 to support the Congress and serve the American public."
Date: April 9, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Bioterrorism Preparedness Efforts Have Improved Public Health Response Capacity, but Gaps Remain (open access)

Infectious Disease Outbreaks: Bioterrorism Preparedness Efforts Have Improved Public Health Response Capacity, but Gaps Remain

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "Following the bioterrorist events of the fall of 2001, there has been concern that the nation may not be prepared to respond to a major public health threat, such as the current outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Whether a disease outbreak occurs naturally or is due to the intentional release of a harmful biological agent by a terrorist, much of the initial response would occur at the local level, particularly hospitals and their emergency departments. Efforts to plan for worldwide influenza pandemics are useful for understanding public health preparedness for other large-scale outbreaks. GAO was asked to examine (1) the preparedness of state and local public health agencies and organizations for responding to a large-scale infectious disease outbreak, (2) the preparedness of hospitals for responding to a large-scale infectious disease outbreak, and (3) federal and state efforts to prepare for an influenza pandemic. This testimony is based on GAO's report, Bioterrorism: Preparedness Varied across State and Local Jurisdictions, GAO-03-373 (Apr. 7, 2003), a survey of hospitals GAO conducted to assess their level of emergency preparedness, and information updating GAO's prior report on federal and state planning …
Date: April 9, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Medicare: Observations on Program Sustainability and Strategies to Control Spending on Any Proposed Drug Benefit (open access)

Medicare: Observations on Program Sustainability and Strategies to Control Spending on Any Proposed Drug Benefit

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "The House Committee on Ways and Means is holding a hearing on modernizing Medicare and integrating prescription drugs into the program. There are growing concerns about gaps in the Medicare program, most notably the lack of outpatient prescription drug coverage, which may leave Medicare's most vulnerable beneficiaries with high out-of-pocket costs. At the same time, Medicare already faces a huge projected financial imbalance that has worsened significantly in the past year. This statement discusses the challenges of adding a drug benefit to Medicare in the context of the program's current and projected financial condition. It also examines program design issues to be considered with respect to administering any proposed drug benefit. Specifically, it discusses how private sector health plans have used entities called pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) to control drug benefit expenditures."
Date: April 9, 2003
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Internal Revenue Service: Assessment of Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2003 and Interim Results of 2002 Tax Filing Season (open access)

Internal Revenue Service: Assessment of Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2003 and Interim Results of 2002 Tax Filing Season

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "This testimony discusses the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fiscal year 2003 budget request for the 2002 tax filing season. GAO found that IRS's plans for hiring and redirecting staff may be optimistic because budgets are prepared so far in advance of the fiscal year involved. IRS assumed (1) labor and nonlabor savings of 2,287 staff years and $157.5 million and (2) additional savings of $38.5 million from better business practices. IRS's justification does not always adequately link the resources being requested and the agency's performance goals. Although IRS provided adequate support to justify the $450 million request for its multiyear capital account for business systems modernization, it did not adequately support $1.63 billion of the $1.68 billion requested for its information systems. In the area of agency performance, GAO found that IRS has generally processed returns smoothly and seen continued growth in electronic filing. The one exception to smooth processing has been the large number of errors related to the rate reduction credit. IRS has had to correct millions of returns due to the credit, and taxpayers' call about the credit have greatly increased the demand on IRS's …
Date: April 9, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Protecting The Public's Interest: Considerations for Addressing Selected Regulatory Oversight, Auditing, Corporate Governance, and Financial Reporting Issues (open access)

Protecting The Public's Interest: Considerations for Addressing Selected Regulatory Oversight, Auditing, Corporate Governance, and Financial Reporting Issues

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "In the wake of the Enron collapse and the proliferation of earnings restatements and pro forma earnings assertions by other companies, questions are being raised about the soundness of private sector financial reporting, auditor independence, and corporate governance. In addressing these issues, the government's role could range from direct intervention to encouraging non-governmental and private-sector entities to adopt practices that would strengthen public confidence. GAO believes that Congress should consider a holistic approach that takes into account the many players and interrelated issues that brought about the Enron situation."
Date: April 9, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Government Financial Statements: FY 2001 Results Highlight the Continuing Need to Accelerate Federal Financial Management Reform (open access)

U.S. Government Financial Statements: FY 2001 Results Highlight the Continuing Need to Accelerate Federal Financial Management Reform

Testimony issued by the General Accounting Office with an abstract that begins "As in the past four years, GAO was unable to express an opinion on the federal government's consolidated financial statements for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 because of material weaknesses in internal control and accounting and reporting issues. These conditions prevented GAO from providing Congress and American citizens with an opinion as to whether the consolidated financial statements are fairly stated in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Until these problems are adequately addressed, the government will continue to have difficulty (1) reporting its assets, liabilities, and costs; (2) adequately measuring the full cost and financial performance of programs and effectively manage related operations; and (3) adequately safeguarding significant assets and and properly recording transactions."
Date: April 9, 2002
Creator: United States. General Accounting Office.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-673 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-673

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the comptroller may engage in inter-fund borrowing against constitutionally created and dedicated funds to cover deficits in the General Fund.
Date: April 9, 1987
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-471 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-471

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a corporate surety may substitute an agent's name on a license without fulfilling the requirement of a new application for licensing.
Date: April 9, 1986
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-472 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-472

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Effect of failure to pay a processing fee authorized by article 9022, V.T.C.S., for dishonored checks.
Date: April 9, 1986
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History
Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-305 (open access)

Texas Attorney General Opinion: JM-305

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Whether the sale of "gin trash " by a gin is exempt under section 141.002(c)(4) of the Agriculture Code.
Date: April 9, 1985
Creator: Texas. Attorney-General's Office.
System: The Portal to Texas History